Valveless four-cycle engine.



Patented Maly 1, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l. a?

R. A. & G. JOHNSON.

VALVELESS FOUR-CYCLE ENGINE.

APPLICATION min Au.2u.19\2.

vill/null/11.r1/'11117111701111111114 E III/111771101011 WiL/namen.' I

H. A. L G. JOHNSON. VALVELESS FOUR-CYCLE ENGINE.

APPLICATION man Aue.2s,1s12.

Patented May `1, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 II I- v7 :IE mf G"- Johnson R. A.I& G. JOHNSON.

VALVELESS FOUR-CYCLE ENGINE.

APPLICATIDN FILED AUG.28.1912.

1,224,468. y Patented May 1, 1917` 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- lN "ED STATES-PATENT OFFICE- l I i `QROIJLY A. JOHNSON ANI) GARFIELD JOHNSON, OF LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA, ASSIGN- ORS OF ONE-SIXTH 'IO` HOWARD M. HUNTER, OF LOS ANGE LES, CALIFORNIA, ONE- SIXTH TO C. F. GOUDY, `ONE-SIXTH TO FRANK SPARKS, AIU) ONE-SIXTH '.lAOV F.. C?.`

KOFFER.

ldescription of the iiiveiition, auch as will enable other skilled in the art to which it lappeltaius to niake and use the same.

Our invention relates to explosion engines andmore particularly to engines known as `the four-cycle type and the' object thereof `is to dispense with values in ti'ieoperation `of the engine by means of' which the construction simplified and its dered more effective.

The prime feature ofour uivention re operation ren the ypiston and its relation 'with the cylinder, the-piston being revoluhle during' its reciprocating motion and so arranged that the exhaust is continuous during the izipstroke and Iwhereby the inspiration period coins menees immediateljgf and continues during its entire downward stroke, the exhaust and supply ports being so constructed in. the pistn that a perfect compression is provided preparatory to the explosion, as will now he set forth in detail.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a portion of an explosion engine of our improved type..`

Fig. 2 is a vertical. cross section on the line2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similar' view to Fig. 2 on the line 3-3 of Fig. l.

VALVELES'S roUR-cYcLE ENGINE.

' Be it known that we, HOLLY A. JOHNSON' `sides in the construction and operation of Fig. 4is a horizontal section on the line' 4 4 of Fig. Q.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the cylinders showingr the application of the manifolds.

Fig. 6 isa horizontal section of one of the `cylinders on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1. y Fig. 7 is a horizontal section of one ofthe `cylinders on the line 7f7 of Fig. 1.

i Fig. `S a horizontal section of one of the cylinders on the vline 8--8 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged detached portion'of thev advancing mechanism.

In constructing our invention We prebolted thereto.l

- piston.

P` mtented May 1, 1917.

pare a base l, adapted to receive thereon the cylinders, this base being provided at its front side witha horizontal flange 11 and along its rear side with a flange 12, anda housing 13.

Base 10 has circt lar'flanges la to receive the explosion cylinders, and a crank ease l5 is secured to the ower side of base 10. A crank shaft 16 extei ids transversely through crank case 15 and s revolubly mounted in the ends thereof an( l. is also supported intermediate the ends by bearings linounted upon the sides of s` iid case. Each cylinder 1T has a flanged base 18 and an extension flange 19 at its real side to cover the housing, and the upper und of each cylinder has also one annular lange. 2.0 to provide a means whereby the cap orhead 21 may be An annular rib or boss 22 is cast integral willi the cylinder at each end to provide sea 11s for the Waterjaoket 23 which surrounds the cylinder. Through the front wall, of etch cylinder we form a pair of vertically disposed parallel openings or ports 24 and 25. ihese ports being narrow and extending along; the cylinder a distance equal substantially to the stroke of the p By referer ce to Fig. 1 itl will be seen that these porta, shown by dotted lines, are pointed at theii upper and lower. ends. The inner. walls A are parallel with` each other throughout er cept at their` lower ends where `the walls diverge as at 'B and C. The diverging wall B jc ins the outer WallD of the opening 25 and extends upward to approximately two-thi rds of the length of the` port,l where it cont erges toward and joins the inner wall A. The other port is similarly constructed, `with the exception-that the converging and diverging wallsof the two ports are in )pposite directions. It should also be notel that while the u per end of the port Z4 and the lower end o the port 25 terminate ii points the upper end of the port'Q and the lower end of port 24 each terminatevat a wall 26, so as to give ay -is a rin 34 fitted within `and securedA to the piston s ell. A threaded ring 35 is adapted to screwv into the threaded portion of the shell, and between the two rings 34 and 35 is a disk 36 to which the connecting rod 37 is'attached. The edge of this disk 36 has ball bearings 38, and above and below the disk are also vanti-friction balls 39 bearing against the rings 34 and 35 so that, while the disk is not revoluble the anti-friction thus described provides a means whereby the piston may revolve. The up er end of the piston is also open and is esigned to operate within the 'annular channel 27 formed between the depressed cap 21 and f the cylinder walls 17. The upper end of r orly of the lower end of the las the piston-has exteriorly thereof a groove to receive therein a snap ring 40 for packing the upper end of the piston, and a similar ring 41 is provided in a groove interic linder below the vertical ports 24 and 25. ertical packing strips 42 and 43- areA also provided in fuitable grooves in the cylinder, strips 42 being between the ports, and the other strips outside of and` adjacent the ports. These packingpstrips extend upto a. position just below the location of the snap ring 40, when the piston is at i'ts lowest point. The piston has two ports 42 oppositely located at a point directly above the partition wall 31, so that they overlap the en ds of the vertical ports 24 whenthe piston reaches the end of itsstroke in either direction. The piston has two vertically disposed grooves 43 extending from the lower end to a point midway between the ends of the piston, and a sprocket toothed rim-44', provided with splines' to engage with the grooves, is fitted over the piston so 'that it is longitudinally movable. The rim is held in place by means of a recess 44 4(Fig. 2) formed between the joining part of the cas,L ing and base so that while'the riml turns `with the piston it does not move longitudinally during the reciprocation of the piston. Within the housing 13 ofthe base and Aat each cylinder is .a short vertical shaft 45 secured in suitable bearings 46,/ preferably cast integral with the base. The upper end of each shaft 45 carries a sprocket Wheel 47, which isv in line with the sprocket-toothed rim 44 on the piston, and a sprocket chain 48 around the wheel and rim provides a means for imparting "rotary motion from the shaft 'to the piston. 'The lower end of each shaft has a worm 49 which meshes with a worm wheel 50 on a horizontal shaft 51,

one 'of the this shaft being parallel with the crank shaft, and mounted in suitable bearings in the crank case. At the end of this shaft 51 is a sprocket wheel 52 carrying a sprocket chain 53 which communicates with a similar sprocket Wheel 54 on one end of the crank shaft 15 so that motion is transmitted from the crank shaft to the vertical shafts and from these "ertical shafts to the indi-. vidual pistons through the chains 48. The relation of the gearing between the crank shaft and the pistons is such that at each revolution of the crank shaft the piston makes a quarter revolution, and the object"I of the two ports v42 of the piston is to obviate the necessity of making too rapid turn of the 'piston during its reciprocation. It

rwillbe noticed that the front of each cylin:

der has integral therewith three parallel `longitudinally disposed ribs 53', 54 which extend out and are flushl with the lower annular rib 22 of the cylinder, the intermediate rib 53 being between the verticalports 24 ,and 25 and the other two ribs 54- being on oppositel sidesv of the ports and parallel therewith. A cross rib 55, also integral with l the cylinder connects the upper ends of these vertical ribs.

In practice the thin metal jacket 23 is laced around the cylinder and the openings etween these ribs 53', 54', 55 cut away and we then bolt a plate 56 to the basc thus formed, by bolts 57. This plate is providedl .with an interior longitudinal wall which is parallel with and rests above ithe intermediate rib 53 two channels 58 and 59, the channel 58 thereb vcommunicating with the port 24 and the c `anuel 59 with the port 25. The channel 58 has a boss 60 at its lower end threaded to receive the manifold pipe 61, and the other channel 59 has a boss 62 to receive the Y manifold pipe 63.

In order to readily understand the operation' of the engine thus constructed reference of the cylinder, thus forming.

icc

is'had 'to Fig. 2 Iwhich shows the piston at Y the lowestpoint after an explosion has taken place with one of the piston ports 42' communicating with the lower end of the cyl- I l inder port 24. During the entire upstroke of the piston port42 discharges the burnt ases through the vertical port 24, and into t e channel 58 whichfcommunicates with the exhaust manifold 61. When the piston-has reached its highest limit the port 42 is in osition directly behind the rib between the a mternediate ports 24 and 25` and as the piston'commences thevdownward movement its revoluble motion brings the port 42 in communication with the cylinder port 25, thus commencing the inspiration period of the c cle. As the piston reaches its lowest limit t e port'42 cedes from port 25 due to its revolublelm` ion so that when the next upward stroke of the piston takes place the ao" l that by turnin 'of the piston during port v425 has 'passedifthe packingv strips 43, and the other. companion port,l ,.{t2ftl(as,I not again.. appear at the bottom` of the cylinder port 24 until thel completion ofthecolnbustion stroke.

its up and down movement also has aten ency to revent the piston freezingto the Walls of t e cylinder and also eases the piston in its up and down travel as by this 'combined movement the outer wall of the piston 4will describe or travel in a longitudinal spiral path upon the inner wall of the cylinder. It will also be observed that all. the gearing revoluble motion is located Within the crank case and housing provided so that every part of the Working mechanism is inclosed. ,Y It is obvious that the compression spaces may bel enlarged or decreased by changing the position of the disks 36, to which the connecting rods 37 are hinged. In order to provide avmeans for advancing crrctarding the Nrevoluble piston relative toits vertical position, one projeting end ofthe shaft .'31 has an annular groove 65,and a lever` 66 with a yoke 67 in engagement with the groove 65, has one end hinged to a, bracket 68, While its other end has a slot 69 to receive a threaded stem 70. This stem has a collar 7l on each side of the lever ,66 so' the stem 70 the shaft 51 is moved longtu inally.v To keep the sprocket Wheel 52 in alinement with the sprocket wheel 54 on the crank shaft, the hub of the Wheel 52 has an annular groove-72 and a linger in this groove projecting from bracket ,73" keeps the Wheel vfrom moving on the shaft and a feather 74 on the shaft engaging with a groove (not shown) in the sprocket wheel 52 iixes the Wheel revolubly with the.

shaft. When'the shaft 51 is moved longitudinally the effect will be to turn the lshaft through the worm and worm Wheel 50 and 49 and the shaft 45 will in turn cause the' piston to move through the sprocket wheelv 47, andchain 48.

. Having described our invention what we 1 n 1. In an explosion engine, acylinder provided'with an inlet anda discharge port extending longitudinallyv in thev 4walls thereof andopening into vsaid cylinder a distance `approximately equal tothe piston lstroke;

i one or the other of sa1'd-in1et-- and dischargel ports-iatrpredeterminedatimes;.` j i.

.the wall thereofy ada'p and 'afreci rocating andrevolnble piston therein, sai plstonQhavingfa port through ted `to register with ed'rim on saidpiston provided .with splines to slide Vin the grooves of the plston; a vertical shaft carrying at its upper end a The revoluble vertical motion to produce the one of the channels of the' cylinderandavit'h the other channel during the intake stroke,

. tween said pis ing the piston each alternate exterior` longitudinali 4toothed rim haring with the grooves and said piston u ha' fing grooves, a sp1-c cket splines 1n engagement held. in a suita Dier recess 1n saidf basea en vertical shaft'hiving sprocket* wheel i sprocket. chain :onnectlng said wheeland said toothed rinr. ;'the lower cndof said ventical shaft bcingigcared to the crankw-slialfai.

ing in the inner wall .thereof a pair :Off parallel channe s extending'"longitudinally a distance equal to the stroke of thep'iston; a piston having; a pair of oppositely fdisievoluble and ihe ports .so disposed;l relatively to each o1 herthat duringtheexhaust stroke one of th e piston ports. registers :with

and duringr th e compression and power strokes said pori are out of 'register and A:dur-

ing the next en' haust stroke the other port of the piston re gistersl With the first named a; cranky.; shaft and connecting rod, thelonerendfof 4. In an expl( sion englne acylinder-havi u l posed ports the! ethrough, sindv piston helngrp channelY 'of the cylinder and at the intakeiistroke with the second named channel;-`

5. In an expl sion engine a cylinder; having vertical4 pai allel ports in one sidethercof, one being he inlet and the other the outlet port; ril s extending around 'andjin-` termediate said ports, integral with-thezcylinder', and a plate overlapping said ports and secured to the aforesaid rib s,thep'late having channels which register withothe vertical ports of the cylinder; 'Tand means` for attaching Manifolds thereto..l

6. In Van exi llosion engine a cylinder` a 'disposed ports; a crank shaft; a'connectin be# ton and c rank'sha t; means operated from a quarter turn-horizontally at cach complete-'turn ofthe crank shaft; and means to to communicate lwith the cylinder ports at revolution of the crank shaft.

the other of :iaidchannels communicating `pair of ports in said cylinder; a'v pistonfein `said cylinder having oppositely the crank shaft forrevolvy 12o i :anse the-ports 1n the pistoni f -port at one end otono of said grooves and a supply port at the opposite end of the other of said grooves. said grooves bein longitiuli-nally disposed parallel with each1 other; each Aoi sa'id grooves being of less width at the ends opposite the ports; a piston having.r oppositely disposed.ports therein slidably and revolnbly mounted in said cylinder;l a crank shaft; a connection between said c vliiider and said crank shaft; and means connected to the crank shaft to revolve said piston to bring the ports thereininto register with the grooves in the cyliiidei at predetermined times.

9. In an explosionenginea lcylinder havingin its side wall a pair of longitudinally extending channels; one channel communieating at one ,end with a supply manifold and the other channel at the opposite end with an. exhaust manifold. said channels being .olfa lengthequal to the stroke of the piston and each channel having its end opposite the communicating end narrowed in width;- a. piston within said cylinder having a port therein adapted to he brought into re istcr vwith first one and then the other'o the channels-in the cylinder wall; a crank shaft; n connecting rod .between said piston and shaft; and means connected to said shaft and piston to rotate s aid piston tobring'the Iport therein into register with -thochann'els in the cylinder at' 'pre 1 determined times. 4

`provided in its side wall with a. pair of grooves having a supply and an exhaust n yf {wort} (an'i'ini'unicnting t rton 'having a port-'t 10. In an.. explosion engine,` a cylinler ierewith, said grooves i'eingilongitudinally disposed, parallel with each other and spaced apart-,the .upper'eridsV [of the grooves having their .outer walls in clined town-rd each other to form-- narrowl `:terminal openings, and thedowiengs of the. grooves having theirv inner' clined away from (moli otherto form nat"- wal inf row terminal openin I and a revoliible plof the grooves -in the cylinder wall.

1.1'. In an explosion 'engine a basen-a p l'i'i- 'piston reciprocatingin herein which -oommnn- .t 0. catesrst With ione and then' with other piston in each of said cylinderapro'vided at its lower end with exterior longitudine grooves; a connecting rod for each-of snic pistons; a crank shaft;`a sprockettoothed riin for each piston having splines in engagement .with the grooves therein and held l in ii suitable recess in said base; a verticali stroke of thepiston; a piston having a pairof oppositely vdisposed ports therethrough in each of said cylinders, said pistons heing rrevoluble and the ports of each piston so disposed relatively-to each other that during the exhaust stroke one of the piston ports registers with one of the channels of the c linder and with the other channel during le intake stroke. and during the. compression and power strokes said ports are out of register, and dnrin r the next exhaust stroke the other port of tlaie piston te sters with the first named channel of the cy index'.

and at the intake stroke with the second named channel.

'13. The coinbini'ition with an engine c lnder having suitable ports, of a rotata le piston reciprocating in the cylinder nd adapted to open and close the vports thereof by its own rotation, and an endless chain arranged to rot-ate the piston, always in the same direction, .while the latter reciprocates.

V1l. The combination with an engine c 41 inder having,r suitable ports, of arotnta le ring,r at the open end of thec 'linder adapted`A to be peripheral-ly engaged y an actuating chain, a rotatable p'iston reciprocating in `said cylinder and ringaiid in sliding .en-

gagement with the hit-ter, and an endless chain engaging the ring and imparting continued rotation thereto. A

15. The combi-nation with an engine cgiinder having suitable ports,-of a rotata le the cylinder and adapted to' open andjclose the ports thereof by its rotati'rin; anv endless chain arranged to arotatctht: piston. 'always in the 'sam direction, while the latter -reci votantes; and mea-ns toyadjnst therelative l rizo'ntal positlon of'laid -poi-tsandpistoia.

16, la an .explosion cn ine u cylinder p'rovidethwith an inlet ant a discharge port extendifi'g`-longitni-linnily'in the walls thereof' `and o ng`into 'saidj'i lylindjer a' distance tipp 'mately/.equal tot e pistongstke: a 'recip ting and revilnble--piston therein, said p on raving a Il-tort. through the wall other 'gaid finies a predetermined times; and manually oper- A ated means to advance or retard the rotative .each complete turn of `the crank shaft;

means 'to cause the ports in the piston to communicate with the cylinder portsy at each alternate revolution of the crank shaft; and means to advance or retard the time of communioation between said piston and cylinder ports substantially as described.

18. The combination with an engine eylinder 'having suital le'ports of a rotatable piston reciprocating in the cylinder and adapted to open am. close the ports thereof by its rotation; an endless chain arranged to rotate the piston, always in thesame direc'tionwhile the latter reciprocates; and

means to advance o 'retard the rotation of said pieton wl'iereby the opening or closing of said ports is advanced or retarded.

Signed at the city of Los Angeles, county of Los Angeles, Slate of California, tliis ll-l1 day of March, l912, in the presence of witnesses.` n v ROL LY A. JOHNSON.

GAR FIELD JOHNSON.

Witnesses: a

.Daisy Bowen LEE, Y d. S. Znnnn. 

